Patients lose about a quarter of their income due to cancer. In the hospitals of Upper Austria you will not only receive medical help, but also social advice. Lisa Reitbauer would also have wanted this: she was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 19 and survived thanks to a stem cell donation from her father.
“My life suddenly changes when I am diagnosed with cancer. Can I still finance it? Can I continue to do my job? “In addition, there is social isolation because I have to be careful with the therapies” – Martina Hundertpfund knows what concerns people who suffer from cancer. “We provide help with these problems in the hospital,” says the social worker at the Ordensklinikum Linz.
I became ill with leukemia during my high school year
Every year, 10,000 Upper Austrians receive a tumor diagnosis. One of them is Lisa Reitbauer (26) from Haidershofen, who has come a long way: “I became ill with leukemia at the age of 19, during my secondary school year. My life was put on pause.” Lisa spent three months in the Elisabethinen Hospital in Linz. What saved her was her father’s stem cell donation – and her positive thoughts that helped her through her treatments.
Today the research assistant says, “It was very difficult to get back on my feet as a young adult.” Lisa Reitbauer would have liked advice in addition to her medical therapies.
119 social workers
Social worker Martina Hundertpfund, among others, now offers one. A total of 119 social workers, spread over 73 full-time positions, currently work in the hospitals of Upper Austria to provide all-round support to patients and their relatives and to advise them on matters other than medical issues. The staff shortage is also noticeable here: Hundertpfund says it needs more employees, but these are constantly being expanded.
For State Health Councilor Christine Haberlander (ÖVP), social contact points in hospitals are important “to minimize initial fears. We don’t leave the patients alone.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
